4) In US military usage a term, now obsolete, for one of the colours carried
by a unit of state militia or volunteers (usually when mustered into federal service)
as the second colour along with a national colour of the same design as that used
by regiments of the regular army.

1) A variant of the national flag (or occasionally a completely different
design) which is restricted by law or custom (theoretically or actually) to use
by a country's government, and can often differ from the national flag by the
addition of a coat of arms or emblem – the government flag or federal service
flag (see also
‘civil flag’,
‘coat of arms’,
‘emblem, national’ and
‘national flag’, together with ‘government
ensign’ and ‘naval ensign’ listed under ‘ensign’).

From left: The State Service Flag of Saxony; The Civil Flag of Saxony, Germany;
The State Service Flag of Styria; The Civil Flag of Styria, Austria (fotw)

STATE SYMBOLS

1) See national symbols.

2) Those things, often established by law, which have been adopted as being symbolic of
a sub-national entity particularly when that entity is called a state, these may include the
flag of the state, and the state coat of arms or emblem, the state colours and possibly a
motto, a plant, an animal and/or a bird etc (see also national symbols).

Some Symbols of the State of New Mexico, US: Flag of the State, State Colours, State Seal. State Bird - Road Runner, State Flower  Yucca (fotw, Official Website and CS)

STAYED MAST

A heavy high mast supported by means of stay cables. Stayed masts are often
erected at sea training establishments with proper main and top yards for seamanship
training purposes or at yacht clubs, and are fitted with a main yard gaff for
the hoisting of an ensign (see also
‘ensign’,
‘gaff’,
‘peak’,
‘sailor’s mast’ and
‘yard’).

STELLA

The Latin/Italian for star and occasionally seen in place of that term – see ‘star 1)’.

1) (adj) A term for the type of flag, now largely (if not wholly) obsolete, whose fly is
extended by a rectangular projection (smaller in width and of varying length) centred on the
horizontal meridian of the flag (see also
engrailed fly,
‘fly 1)’,
‘meridian’,
‘stepped’,
‘schwenkel’,
‘stepped’ and
‘tails’).

Notes
a) This was not considered an established term and had been
introduced by the Editors as no (accurately descriptive) established alternative could then be found,
however, since that time the Italian term “gonfaloni scalinati” has been discovered and is accordingly
defined below.b) At the time of writing it is unclear as to whether the flag having a straight-sided but angled fly (as illustrated below) should be considered as engrailed or stepped  see engrailed fly.

Flag of Betxi, Spain (Jose Antonio Jimenez Ruiz)

STEPPED GONFALON

(adj) The term (and a direct translation of the Italian “gonfaloni scalinati”) that may be used to
describe those gonfalons whose fly forms a series of steps as in the examples given below (see also
‘gonfalon’ and stepped ).

1) Specifically, in US military usage, the smallest size of national flag flown at army
and marine corps
posts - 5 feet (1.5 m) wide by 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 m) long, or half as wide and
half as long as a marine corps post flag (see also
‘garrison flag’
and ‘post flag’).

2) Generally, a smaller size of flag than that laid down for general use, and meant to
be flown in stormy weather.

Please note with regard to 2) that streamers supplied to the
Henry Grace a Dieu (flagship of the English royal fleet) in 1514 are recorded as having
ranged between 15 and 51 yards (13.5m and 46m) long.

The Henri Grace a Dieu, The Peter and The Salamander, English Royal Navy c1525 (Wiki)

STREAMER RETAINING RING

An often decorative, ridged band sometimes fitted to the staff of a military
colour below the finial, and from which battle streamers are suspended (see also
‘battle honour,
‘colour 2)’,
‘staff 2)’ and ‘streamer 1)’).

Please note that the most common heraldic terms
used in describing the stripe on a shield or banner of arms are listed separately
and/or in Appendix VI, however, it is suggested that
suitable a glossary or heraldic dictionary be consulted for further details.

Please note that a stumpmast with a fixed yard at the
truck giving it a T-shape is common right forward in the bows of those bulk cargo
carrying vessels plying the inland waterways of Europe so as to allow for passing
under bridges and other overhead obstructions. The taller of this type of mast is
also often hinged for lowering to deck level for the same purpose (see also
'truck' and
'yard').